Subject Librarian
Writing Research Questions
One method to develop a research question is to use the PICO model. In PICO, the letter "P" represents the population, patient or problem. The letter "I" represents the intervention. In Public Health, sometimes, the intervention can be thought of as an exposure. The letter "C" represents the comparison group or variable. It is not always specified in a PICO question. The letter "O" represents the outcome.
Example
In college students, does journaling reduce anxiety?
P (Population): college students
I (Intervention): journaling
C (Comparison): not specified
O (Outcome): reduced anxiety
Developing a Search Strategy
Once you have determined your research question, identify the main concepts and brainstorm keywords. Three terms are frequently used to combine these terms: AND, OR, and NOT.
| Connector | Example | Results |
|---|---|---|
| AND | college students AND journaling AND anxiety | Results will contain each of the terms. |
| OR | anxiety OR stress | Results will contain either term. |
| NOT | stress NOT oxidative | Results will eliminate a term. |